Karl Lagerfeld - Designer

I think (hope) they're going to try this with the Kaiser Karl show.
I wonder if they are going to try this indeed…
Sexuality is a subject almost needed in every story but sexuality or the lack off is quite an interesting part of Karl’s story.
In that new documentary, there’s this part where Victoire said that it annoyed her that for a long time she couldn’t figure it out if Karl was straight or not whereas Yves threw himself at men…
But yet there was a kind of intimate tension between the three and she had a bit of a crush for Karl.

Ultimately, Victoire became more instrumental in Yves’s story than in Karl’s.
 
ever since daniel brühl has been revealed to be playing karl in kaiser karl instead of jared leto as originally announced, i'm so very expectant to watch the series. i love daniel brühl and his acting.
 
I wonder if they are going to try this indeed…
Sexuality is a subject almost needed in every story but sexuality or the lack off is quite an interesting part of Karl’s story.
In that new documentary, there’s this part where Victoire said that it annoyed her that for a long time she couldn’t figure it out if Karl was straight or not whereas Yves threw himself at men…
But yet there was a kind of intimate tension between the three and she had a bit of a crush for Karl.

Ultimately, Victoire became more instrumental in Yves’s story than in Karl’s.

I remember reading similar comments from Victoire (can't remember where, I think it was the Mauvais garçon YSL biography) where she really didn't sound sure about Karl's preferences. I wonder if Victoire will ever write another book about her time with Yves, Karl, Pierre (whatever went on during their "affair" *shudder*). I read her book about her time at Dior and it was moderately interesting, but pretty boring. I mostly remember her characterizing the rival models at Balmain as drunken sl*ts and criticizing editorial models for being "fat."

On this topic, though, it'll be VERY interesting to see how they'll show his relationship with Jacques. One of his newer biographies (Paradise Now) has some interesting comments that seem to contradict each other. Diane de Beauvau-Craon says that of course he and Karl had a sexual relationship (at the beginning), but Karl just wasn't into sex so it was pretty much how it's been discussed. However, one of Jacques friends, suspects it was sexual and that Karl's story about it being "platonic" was to ultimately distract from the fact that Jacques died from AIDS... so people wouldn't associate Karl/think about Karl in that way. It's an interesting theory. Who knows.

(Specifically, I want a scene of Pierre almost attacking Karl at, maybe, Le Sept. Kenzo recounted it in one of the million of books about them and Kenzo is one of those fashion figures I trust, rightly or wrongly.)

ever since daniel brühl has been revealed to be playing karl in kaiser karl instead of jared leto as originally announced, i'm so very expectant to watch the series. i love daniel brühl and his acting.
Don't get your hopes up. That's a different project.
 
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I remember reading similar comments from Victoire (can't remember where, I think it was the Mauvais garçon YSL biography) where she really didn't sound sure about Karl's preferences. I wonder if Victoire will ever write another book about her time with Yves, Karl, Pierre (whatever went on during their "affair" *shudder*). I read her book about her time at Dior and it was moderately interesting, but pretty boring. I mostly remember her characterizing the rival models at Balmain as drunken sl*ts and criticizing editorial models for being "fat."

On this topic, though, it'll be VERY interesting to see how they'll show his relationship with Jacques. One of his newer biographies (Paradise Now) has some interesting comments that seem to contradict each other. Diane de Beauvau-Craon says that of course he and Karl had a sexual relationship (at the beginning), but Karl just wasn't into sex so it was pretty much how it's been discussed. However, one of Jacques friends, suspects it was sexual and that Karl's story about it being "platonic" was to ultimately distract from the fact that Jacques died from AIDS... so people wouldn't associate Karl/think about Karl in that way. It's an interesting theory. Who knows.

(Specifically, I want a scene of Pierre almost attacking Karl at, maybe, Le Sept. Kenzo recounted it in one of the million of books about them and Kenzo is one of those fashion figures I trust, rightly or wrongly.)


Don't get your hopes up. That's a different project.
I would think that the truth lies between the two. I think they had sexual relationships in the beginning but Karl was probably not so interested and allowed Jacques to be reckless in the Parisian streets. And I believe Karl had that 1968 spirit of freedom where he allowed his partner to enjoy it. Maybe he was turned on by the tales or by watching than by being a participant. And Jacques lived a very non-professional lifestyle, unlike Karl.
But I also think that not being active allowed him to distance himself from the AIDS/HIV narrative.
But it was also a taboo I think. YSL despite his wild lifestyle (between parties and collections) escaped that narrative.

It’s funny but when I was younger I never understood that narrative of Yves and Pierre about suffering to design collections. There were using words like Torture…Just for me to realize that it was his substance abuse and it repercussions.
 
I would think that the truth lies between the two. I think they had sexual relationships in the beginning but Karl was probably not so interested and allowed Jacques to be reckless in the Parisian streets. And I believe Karl had that 1968 spirit of freedom where he allowed his partner to enjoy it. Maybe he was turned on by the tales or by watching than by being a participant. And Jacques lived a very non-professional lifestyle, unlike Karl.
But I also think that not being active allowed him to distance himself from the AIDS/HIV narrative.
But it was also a taboo I think. YSL despite his wild lifestyle (between parties and collections) escaped that narrative.

It’s funny but when I was younger I never understood that narrative of Yves and Pierre about suffering to design collections. There were using words like Torture…Just for me to realize that it was his substance abuse and it repercussions.
I think you're right when it comes to it. It'll be very interesting to see how this is all portrayed.

They were able to get blood from a stone for Balenciaga's series, which I quite liked, but of course different production companies, writers, etc. so who knows.
 
Harper's Bazaar November 1982
"Paris Nights" by Marian McEvoy
Photographer: Patrick Demarchelier
Featuring: Yves Saint Laurent, Amalia Vairelli, Violeta Sanchez, Suzy Amis, Carol Alt, Deborah Collette, Emanuel Ungaro, Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Bohan, Unknown


HB Archive
 
Someone wrote in another thread about a Fendi documentary that showed how concise Karl’s drawings were for the atelier. Can anyone please tell me the name of it? Thank you
 
That drawing and look from 2002 is sooooo kjdnfskejfdn f*ck I miss him.

Someone wrote in another thread about a Fendi documentary that showed how concise Karl’s drawings were for the atelier. Can anyone please tell me the name of it? Thank you
btw I think this might be the one you're talking about?



I love that gold fur with the subconscious nautilus shell reference. He was the right-brain personified.
 
A new trailer:



And some photos:


press.disney.co.uk
 
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Hmm…I don’t know. I can rarely stomach a Hollywood production of fashion. And judging by the trailer, I don’t think this one will make the cut, either.

Movies and TV NEVER get fashion right. They don’t understand the industry. It’s always corny runway shows with models hamming it up in the worst way. It’s the designer flinging some cheap fabric on a mannequin and then the assistant says something skin crawlingly cringe like “you are going to revolutionize fashion!” Not only do they not understand the industry, I think they oftentimes dislike it, and it shows.

The only film to ever capture what the industry actually feels like is “The Devil Wears Prada.” The industry is not a joke in that movie and neither are the people working in it, despite it being a comedy. It captures the nuances of the profession quite accurately.
 
@lookatme Yeah, I agree. I think what's difficult to show about fashion for filmmakers (who probably don't particularly care about fashion as a field/industry (versus nice clothes), largely) is where the tension comes from and getting us as "the film audience" (not fashion fans) to care. Even relatively accomplished filmmakers flop at this... look at the recent example of The New Look. There ARE truly interesting stories to tell with Dior, Chanel, etc. but it's an unmitigated disaster. It's not even fun in a campy way! However, I think the recent Balenciaga series got it right, which gives me hope for this show, even though it's obviously entirely different creators, cast, crew, etc. The book it's based on wasn't too bad, but as if a good book has ever prevented a bad film. It, at least, looks like effort has been put into the production. As long as it's better than The New Look or Halston and provides some entertainment... I'm ok with it.

I'm most excited for the Fat Karl foreshadowing:

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The two YSL French films and the recent Balenciaga series got the look of the fashion world convincingly good— and didn’t turn the characters into cartoons. Can’t say if that’s how the fashion world really looked, behaved and dressed back then as I didn’t live through those eras LOL Never watched Devil Wears Prada as the story itself was a huge turnoff: Can’t suffer modern-day Meryl and never could suffer Anne. The industry is a joke in many ways— more so now than ever, as the current plague of creatives (that apparently seemed weened on Tyra’s ANTM/Rupaul's Drag Race/Gaga’s discount DIY faSHON) that have taken over the industry are exactly the brand of caricatures that was was spoofed by everyone from French & Saunders to SNL. Just that whenever a movie— especially a very commercial Hollywood movie, makes fun of he industry, like Devil and Zoolander, it’s so obnoxious. But someone devastatingly clever like Sasha Baron Cohen’s Bruno mocking the industry however, is hilariously deserving.

Unfortunately there's a lot with Karl to easily turn him and this series into a cartoon for mass consumption. Will this be more like the solid but all-too serious Cristobal Balenciaga (doubt it)— or more like that awful queer-eye-for-the straight-guy Halston (sadly likely)…??? (Haven’t bothered with the Dior series either…)
 

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